2017 Theses Master's

Hate Speech, Dignity, and the Westboro Baptist Church

DiNizio, Lola

This thesis analyzes America’s approach to free speech and hate speech in comparison to international law. Focusing on 2011 Supreme Court case Snyder v. Phelps, I will discuss how the court’s approach to expression fails to comply with standard human rights norms. I will compare domestic and international approaches to hate speech, as well the harms of such expression to dignity. Additionally, I will trace the history of the Westboro Baptist Church, American definitions of hate speech, and the development of international law approaches to expression.